BOARD of DIRECTORS at AOA – CHAMPION JIU-JITSU

Octavio de Almeida Jr.

Master Otavio de Almeida Junior is an 8th degree Red Belt and President of the Sao Paulo Jiu Jitsu Federation (FPJJ) in Brazil. He is one of the premier leaders in developing jiu jitsu in Sao Paulo, Brazil and also a delegate of CBJJ and IBJJF. The FPJJ hosts many tournaments throughout the year to improve BJJ for youths and adults. He is the son of Otavio de Almeida Senior, who learned BJJ directly from George Gracie. Otavio de Almeida Senior is a key figure in the state of Sao Paulo for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Roberto Moreira Lage

Master Roberto Lage is the vice president of the Sao Paulo Jiu Jitsu Federation and a 7th degree Red-Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He is the founder and owner of Roberto Lage Jiu Jitsu Acadeny which is the biggest BJJ academy in the state of Sao Paulo. He produced over 500 black belts in the 1980s-1990s. He was a student of Otavio de Almeida Senior. Along with Master Almeida, Master Lage has always been at the center of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu looking to expand the sport.MASTER LAGE ON THE BIRTH OF CHAMPION JIU JITSU.

Asu Harvard

Master Asu Harvard has been a pioneer of Jiu jitsu in the Midwest. He earned his BJJ black belt in 1993 under Master Roberto Lage in the Sao Paulo Jiu Jitsu Federation (FPJJ) and was one of the only few Black Belts in early 1990′s. He opened his first academy in Chicago, IL in 1997 representing the FPJJ. He is known as “The Scholar of Jiu JItsu” and has been helping competitors from all over the world. Master Asu’s mission is simple yet profound: to further the tradition of his masters and grand masters–the dedication, loyalty and pride that is central to the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.MASTER ASU BIO|CJJ FULL INFO

First, I’d like to thank everyone for being here. I’d also like to thank Mr. Asu for the initiative he has shown by opening this team in my name.

Since Mr. Asu was my student here in Brazil, he showed great potential and always trained really hard. He showed his loyalty and became the person who received my trust to manage this team. Having learned so much throughout the years from the Sao Paulo Jiu Jitsu Federation (FPJJ) and myself, I have nothing but confidence concerning Mr. Asu’s ability to share what he has learned.

Jiu Jitsu, despite having been initially interpreted as a physical struggle or even a street fight, in the course of time and with improvement, the sport began to be seen in a new light. It has the main purpose of educating students, following the rules of good conduct–not only on the tatami, but in our daily lives as well… but the most important thing: students have respect for their opponents–especially when he steps on the tatami.

The tatami is a sacred place where the teachings will be passed down by masters. Because of Mr. Asu’s deep knowledge of BJJ and the respect that he has shown to myself and especially his opponents, it is time for him to pass on this knowledge and grand tradition.

This respect for your opponents goes beyond.. since today`s winner can be tomorrow’s loser. There isn’t a single student who will win every fight they engage in, but when he loses one and probably gets frustrated, that’s the moment he needs to train harder and harder–never forgetting to see BJJ as a sport rather than a fight for life and death.

The student must keep in mind that victory is not measured in trophies. Victory is when you can show your opponent and your master that even though you didn’t reach your full potential, you`re able to use all the techniques that you learned with dedication and loyalty to your specific master.

Jiu Jitsu, despite what most people think, is not a fight where you only use force and strength, but it’s a fight of intelligence. The fighter must study his opponent, see how he fights and then find the best way to apply all the knowledge that has been taught to him on his opponent. It’s not about force or strength, it’s all about how you are going to put yourself in the right position or use the right defense turning you into a powerful fighter.

The student also must have in mind the importance of warming up to prevent injuries during class. To reach your full potential as a student of jiu jitsu, you must respect the limitations of your body and prepare for training in the proper way.

The most important message today is to respect your master’s orders and authority because he’s the person who is the most capable of saying what you can and can’t do. Respect for your master is the first step in you becoming a great student and in turn, a great fighter… someone who will become a great master himself one day and pass all their knowledge on to their students.

For Mr. Asu, I give to him my highest compliments and thank him for this honor. I’d like to say that even if I’m far from him, I will always help him and his students in anyway possible. Once again, I’d like to thank Mr. Asu and all of his team for the support they have given me and wish them all the best. ( July, 2012)

Master Asu Harvard has been a pioneer of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the Midwest. He holds a 5th degree black belt certified by IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation). Also, he is one of the highest black belts certified by IBJJF.

Master Asu was one of the only few black belts in early 1990’s and earned his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt in 1993 under Master Roberto Lage and Master Otavio Almeida Junior who were the President and Vice President of The Sao Paulo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (FPJJ). He opened his first academy in Chicago, IL in 1997 representing the Sao Paulo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation. Constantly representing the FPJJ, Master Asu has produced many competitors and instructors in the Chicagoland area. He is known as “The Scholar of Jiu Jitsu” and travels the world bringing knowledge and discipline to his students.

Having trained and lived in Japan for several years, Master Asu is also a Judo black belt of Kodokan Judo. He has been invited to teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at sport clubs in Saudi Arabia, Europe and Morocco. With his passion and love for teaching his craft, these international events have been and continue to be very successful.

Master Asu’s mission is simple yet profound: to further the tradition of his masters and grand masters–the dedication, loyalty and pride that is central to the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Champion Jiu Jitsu is dedicated to making your Martial Arts experience enjoyable and satisfying. Our instructors have studied and trained for years to qualify for the Champion Jiu Jitsu team and their primary goal is to assist you in being the best you can be in all aspects of life.

We will help you acquire effective Martial Arts skills and provide you with a comprehensive personal development program. It is our goal to raise the quality of life for all our students in every way possible. Although we honor Martial Arts traditions that go back centuries, we are dynamic and are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to enthuse and excite our students.

Champion Jiu Jitsu has been offering the most premier Brazilian Jiu Jitsu curriculum in the midwest since 1997 and has produced 8 World Jiu Jitsu Championship medalists, 5 Pan-American Jiu Jitsu Championship medalists, 3 ADDC Combat North American Championship medalists and a number of NAGA championship medalists.

Globally, Champion Jiu Jitsu is considered a top-level jiu jitsu academy. As proof, our students are the only non-Brazilian competitors who consistently compete and place in the top three in the black and brown belt divisions at the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Championships.

Champion Jiu Jitsu is growing. Now a part of Sypder Gym MMA, we also offer Muay Thai, Judo, and Mixed Martial Arts programs. That brings a total of 10 black belts under the same roof.